Kinda new here and have made some posts...I'm liking it here learning about everything possible. But I have some questions for the more experienced about 2nd gen transmissions. I've read a lot about the swaping of them into the 1st gens but which transmission is right for me? I own a 1985 GSL-SE 13B soon to be made into a 4 port using 12A side housings and need to know if I start making over 150 hp after the street port I'm getting what transmission is the best for me...I don't know much about the 2nd gen stuff so i suppose the later the year of car the transmission came in the more hp it can handle since the hp increased over the years...anyways if someone could get back to me about this it will clear some things up and i can continue to make my list of things to get for the rebuild. Thanks

Curtis

 

The 1st gen tranny is good for up to around 250 HP as long as you dont slam shift it. The 2nd gen N/A trannies are of the same design and if you want or need to use that youll have to switch out the tailhousing to make it fit in your 1st gen. The real upgrade to a 2nd gen tranny would be getting a TII one.. needing the flywheel, counterweight and starter as well, which again isnt necessary if youre only making 150 HP... a stock SE makes that with just a headered exhaust.

 

All the transmissions for a rotary engine (rx7) are the same in 1st and 2ed gens. the only ones different are the TII's and 3rd gens. or i guess any turbo mazda.

 

Mark, Remove Before Flight? You in aviation? And how did you get that below your avatar?

And why Does the tailshaft housing need to be swapped?

 

Um, there are a few different trannies in RX-7s, i believe this is all of them in the US:

79-80 4 speed
79-80 5 speed
81-85 5 speed (Non GSL-SE)
84-85 5 speed (GSL-SE)
86-88 5 speed
87-88 5 speed TII
89-91 5 speed
89-91 5 speed TII


If you are going to use a TII tranny use the S4 (87-88) version.. it has less ribs on the case, but the mounting is more similar to what you have now..

With the S4 TII tranny you need to do the following to make it fit:

Modify Shifter linkage (shorten it)
Make custom crossmember (not too hard really)
Custom driveshaft

Now to make it work, you will need the correct flywheel, pressure plate, clutch, & counterweight.

-Zach

 

correct me if i'm wrong, but doesnt the doesent the counterweight depend on what rotors you are using not the transmission?

I believe the correct way to do this and keep your current rotors would be to get a counter weight for your specific engine, and then get a aftermarket TII flywheel. You can't use the stock TII one, be cause it has the counterweight built into it, which is weighted to work with the TII rotors.

 

Curtis, if in any way you can afford to do a TurboII engine and trans. swap, do so. Even in bone stock form the conversion is still to this day one of the"Funest" car I've ever piloted. I've owned some pretty crazy cars Including a G60 supercharged VW Rabbit Cabby, VR6 Turbo in a 90 Golf GTi, 350 smallblock Fiero GT, and before the car I have now (85SE TurboII)street, MRU, now known as A-spec helped build a full drag 1st gen 78mm turbo car which incedently they bought back to use as their "shop car". I now doubt I will ever stray from the Rotary. In fact if I have my way I will be piloting a RX8 soon if my wife "Lets" me (not).If there is any way I can help u out let me know. Anything but money!!
Current car possibly 4sale or may sell only drivetrain, shell. whatever i will just have to build another if finances permit.

 

Thanks Oliver...just wondering how much HP can the tII tranny hold up to and it there that much of a gear change in the TII tranny to make it worth the switch...even if i have a stock gsl-se fuel injected system??

 

Oliver, I love the fender mods - RX-8 inspired!

 

Very nice. Functional?

 

Hey guys I couldnt tell what the heck u were talking with the RX8 inspired fender mods until I looked closly at the pics above and noticed that u guys found my penciled in fender slash. That pic is a picture of a photograph with my dig-cam. The original photo was taken 2 yrs. ago with a Polaroid then I would pencil in body mods.(old school photo-shop!)

 

****......... Manntis we got 0wn3D!!!!!!!!

 

What does 0wn3D mean ? And don't laugh! no really don't. icanhearuguyslol!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

No, it depends on the flywheel.. And the flywheel on the TII is larger.. So you need to change the flywheel on the engine to use a TII tranny. Which means you need to change the counter weight.


-Zach

 

now but the counterweight is to keep the engine in balance, not the transmission. You do have to use a flywheel for a TII though. You are correct becaus ethe size is different.

But since the stock flywheel has the weight built in, and is ment to keep a TII engine in balance, you would have to get an aftermarket flywheel for a tII transmission and a counterweight for your specific engine, not the transmission.

Basically the counterweight has to match the engine, not the transmission.

 

The CUSTOM DRIVESHAFT...is that expensive....

list of parts...

TURBO 2 tranny.... about $150 from junkyard
Starter for T2 tranny ..... maybe $50 or less from
junkyard
Flywheel(aftermarket)..... $200 or more
counter weight ... (hopefully included with flywheel)...

CUSTOM DRIVESHAFT .... how much is this???? Sounds very expensive....

Couldn't you just use a stock T2 Driveshaft.... I was considering this swap, but seems to be really really expensive...

 

If you install a TII tranny, you need to use a TII flywheel because the starter will not work with the 1st gen flywheel. The TII flywheel is 9.5 inches compared to 8.5 inches (i think).

When doing the mod, it's best to get a lightened after market flywheel. When you do that, you need to buy an auto tranny counterweight from the same gen as the tranny you're using. This is because the counterweight in the manual engines is part of the flywheel, whereas the auto isn't. You need to get the counterweight to suit the box, not the engine.

While on the subject, you can also get a stepped lightened flywheel, that reduces the clutch size to 8.5 inches, which is good, because i beleive there is a better range of performance clutches available for that size. I'm not 100% sure about that though.

 

LOL, it means owned. Like we got fooled. Mainly used when someone whips someones *** (like in a race, or playing a game) leaving them no chance in hell of winning.

 

Yes, you use the stock TII driveshaft, and have it shortened and have the yoke from your old driveshaft put on it..


Should cost ~150-400 depending on your shop.


-Zach

 

I swapped at 90 NA tranny into my gsl-se. Has been working great. Many people love their trannies, but from all the reading I've done (after mine destroyed itself (literally)) there are quite a few documented issues with the GSL-SE tranny.

F-

 

COME ON! I know I'm right! If I'm wrong i'm gonna have a lot of kissing up to do to make up for it.

But I got my information from pineapple racing when I was haveing my motor being built. THe front and rear counterweights are specific to which series ROTORS you use.

So if you have a stock GSL-SE for example, and you wanted to put a TII transmission on it, you would have to get a counterweight for the SE, and match it with and aftermarket non weighted flywheel for a TII.

 

Ok, i think the reason we are having trouble is we are both right.

The front counter weight changes with the flywheel weight. or if you have a flex plate. So that HAS to mean that it balances the flywheel. right?

But, it probably also balances the rotors, although i do not know that for sure, but it makes logical sense.



-Zach

 

The flywheel is already balanced..... the counterweight is engine rotating assembly specific, usually based on changes in the rotor weights.

 

When using different flywheels there is a counter weight that needs changed.. But it is a REAR couter weight..


I think that is where the confusion is comming from..


-Zach

 

exactly! just since the rear counterewight is built into the TII flywheel, you have to use an aftermarket one that is not weighted, then use the auto trans rear counterweight for which ever series ROTORS you are using... so I guess we were all right? who knows...